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It is so sad to think of this dogs owners and the sadness they will be feeling but such a valuable cause!! Margaret I would like to know if there is a register for this as I felt it was better to discuss it in advance with our family and would like to think we will do this when one of ours passes away.

I am on the organ donor register so at some point may help another after my death and I think it would be nice if in a different way Barney or Cassie might do the same...

We will send out pre-registration forms and information for owners to any one in the UK that asks.

Obviously it is owners of frail or sick cavaliers that usually contact us.

Often the dog is dying, although sometimes seriously ill little dogs have been registered and then rallied to live for many months longer.
We have a little joke that being registered with us can give a frail dog a new lease of life.

It is not just cavaliers, the aim is to help our three main researchers obtain samples from any dog that they think will help their cavalier research. For instance we have a SM affected cavalier cross registered.

We appreciate being offered any cavalier, of any age. Cavaliers that have been MRI'd are especially important for the gene research.

Margaret C

Cavaliers......Faith, The Ginger Tank and Woody.
Japanese Chins.... Dandy, Benny, Bridgette and Hana.
Remembered with love......... Tommy Tuppence and Fonzi

I wish I could help, I live in the U.S. It seems like you guys over seas are doing all the hard work and we reap the rewards.

Funds are always needed. Even a small trickle of funds from small initiatives ( selling stuff on eBay for instance or a coffee morning ) means we pay for another little body to be transported, post-mortemed and individually cremated.
And of course the research will benefit cavaliers worldwide

Tania is going to be selling some wonderful new items soon to benefit both the Collection Scheme and Ruperts Fund.

Originally Posted by mommytoClaire

Does anyone know if there is a similar type of thing that happens here in the US?

I do not know that there is a similar scheme in any other country.
There is no reason why it should not happen, but it needs to be done by cavalier owners in the USA.

I have been asked if I would extend the Scheme to other countries and I have looked to see if it would be feasible, but the problems would be insurmountable. Our Scheme only works because we have a good working relationship with researchers who can help us with the contacts they have in veterinary hospitals across the UK.

Margaret C

Cavaliers......Faith, The Ginger Tank and Woody.
Japanese Chins.... Dandy, Benny, Bridgette and Hana.
Remembered with love......... Tommy Tuppence and Fonzi

Margaret - I read the link, but can you give more of a description of what exactly is done? If it's a matter of tissue donation, we in the US could help with that by simply fedexing the required tissue that is being collected. That would be similar to what I did with Bonnie's heart and femoral arteries when I participated in the Univ of PA research. That is a whole lot easier and cheaper than sending an entire body and then having the cremains returned. Similarly, I have had necropsies done where certain tissues and organs were sent off to a pathology lab but the remainder of the body was left with me so that I could take care of cremation. The items sent for necropsy are of course not returned so that makes the process easier, less expensive and less emotional. My vet does not charge for collecting tissue and organ samples to be sent off for research so the only cost incurred for me was the fedex charge which I was happy to donate. Even if there was a vet charge to obtain organs/tissues, I'd be willing to pay that myself. It is not clear to me why the researchers require the entire body in this program. If you think the topic may be sensitive to some readers, you may send me a PM. I personally am not at all reluctant to send off organs and tissue samples but I would have to really think about sending an entire body which is much more difficult emotionally particularly for someone like myself who doesn't like to give up "control."

Like Teresa I am on the (human) donor register - I had a workmate whose brother needed two kidney transplants, and I also knew another girl from work who was given a new lease of life through a more unusual liver transplant, so I know first hand just how valuable this type of gift can be, whether for dog or human recipient.

Rosemary

PS: We buried Russie on Easter Saturday (what should have been his birthday) three years ago, so this is a rather sad time memory wise for me.

I was a bone marrow donor many years ago. The Spanish recipient eventually died but the family sent me a message to say how they appreciated the hope I had given them.

I remember your Russie dying. I think I was only collecting SM confirmed dogs for Nick Jeffreys' spinal cord studies at that time but you were determined to donate and you made the arrangements and paid all the costs yourself.
Such a generous gesture.

I always feel sad when these anniversaries come round, but it also reminds me how lucky I was to know and love some very special dogs.

Margaret C

Cavaliers......Faith, The Ginger Tank and Woody.
Japanese Chins.... Dandy, Benny, Bridgette and Hana.
Remembered with love......... Tommy Tuppence and Fonzi

I have been asked if I would extend the Scheme to other countries and I have looked to see if it would be feasible, but the problems would be insurmountable. Our Scheme only works because we have a good working relationship with researchers who can help us with the contacts they have in veterinary hospitals across the UK.

But I think the problems would only be insurmountable if you are sending an entire body with expectations of receiving the cremains back. Dr. Buchanan had very precise instructions about necropsy, organ and tissue sample harvest, packaging and shipping. These instructions were given to the vet hospital where the dog died. Also, in this manner, the owner of the deceased Cavalier took care of the necropsy and shipping charges as well as the cremation charges. This really gave good comfort to the bereaved owner as they felt (rightly) that there was a benefit gained even during the loss of their Cavalier. If the owner wasn't financially able to participate but wanted to take part, arrangements could be made for a fund to handle the expenses but many owners would be able to handle the expenses for their particular dog.

Simply sending tissue samples from the US to Montreal would be almost identical as to when I sent Tucker's blood sample to Montreal. I don't know what other measurements and organ samples are needed, but the researchers could draw up a protocol (similar to Dr. Buchanan's) that could be sent directly to the vet hospitals involved. There is no reason that we couldn't work up a scheme in the US if we had direction from the researchers about exactly what they want.

I will volunteer Rod and myself to approach researchers and see if there is a similar program that could be set up in the US. As soon as I understand the parameters, I believe that a US scheme can be worked out fairly easily even if it is just for tissue samples to be sent to Montreal. I know that blood and tissue samples are much more useful than cheek swabs for DNA, but I'm just not clear yet on what other tissue/organ samples and measurements are being sought. Many of us here that live in large cities or near vet schools would have no problem getting whatever info/materials are required; we just need to understand which is sought for the research.

Rod - you can thank me privately for volunteering you!! I'll send you an email this evening with my thoughts including a draft email to researchers.

I will volunteer Rod and myself to approach researchers and see if there is a similar program that could be set up in the US. As soon as I understand the parameters, I believe that a US scheme can be worked out fairly easily even if it is just for tissue samples to be sent to Montreal. I know that blood and tissue samples are much more useful than cheek swabs for DNA, but I'm just not clear yet on what other tissue/organ samples and measurements are being sought. Many of us here that live in large cities or near vet schools would have no problem getting whatever info/materials are required; we just need to understand which is sought for the research.

Rod - you can thank me privately for volunteering you!! I'll send you an email this evening with my thoughts including a draft email to researchers.

Pat

Thanks pat! (And rod ) I don't know what to ask like you both do, but you are right. I know that it would lessen the pain or at least make me feel her death contributed to something. Hopefully she will live a lot longer but knowing there would be something to do will help. Let me know more once you know more.

Margaret - I read the link, but can you give more of a description of what exactly is done?

Hello Pat,

It is late and the description is very involved because no collection is exactly the same, so I may have to return to this another day.

Very briefly what samples we collect depends on the dog's diagnosis, what samples are wanted ( we have three main researchers ) the region the owner lives in, the owner's need to share the dog's last moments with their own vet, or their willingness to travel with the dog and have it PTS at a facility where RNA samples can be taken almost immediately, the amount of cooperation from other busy specialists who are not immediately concerned in cavalier research.

Pet owners as knowlegeable as you do not need someone to make the arrangements for you and it is possible that you are able to pay the extra costs incurred.

In the UK many of those that have donated to the Collection Scheme are on reduced incomes and the extra costs involved could discourage them from donating and leave those valuable tissues lost to the research.
That is why we fund raise and pay the costs, but we try and make sure every collection is as successful as possible so the money is well spent.

At its simplest the Scheme allows the bereaved owner to leave their dead pet at their local GP vet, knowing that someone will transport the body to the pathologist and they will receive the individual ashes back.

These are the easiest collections to deal with, although sometimes the dog has died unexpectedly, and as the postmortem needs to be done within 24 hours, without the body being frozen, there is a period of intense activity while transportation is arranged ( I use contacts with rescue people & local breed club members ) and local pathology facilities are checked for availibility.

Sometimes we are given one or two days notice of euthanasia, so provisional arrangements can be made, but as the quality of the dog's life must be our number one consideration, and there is no way we would want to add to the distress of the owner, those provisional arrangements cannot be activated in any way until the death actually happens.
Sometimes a last minute change of medication will give the dog a new lease of life and everybody is then stood down.

A great many of our cases seem to occur towards the end of the week or bank holidays when there can be no pathology staff available.

We have paid a local vet to take heart & pancreatic tissue, the samples were good and it is something we would do again, but taking samples from a SM confirmed dog for the gene research is thought to be best done by someone with specialist pathology skills.

More to come.............

Margaret C

Cavaliers......Faith, The Ginger Tank and Woody.
Japanese Chins.... Dandy, Benny, Bridgette and Hana.
Remembered with love......... Tommy Tuppence and Fonzi